Oil gauge for tanks



' Oct. 12 1926. 1,603,162

, R3 STAR OIL GAUGE FOR TANKS Filed Jan. 12', 1925 WIIIIIIIIIIIIIII Patented Oct. 12, 19 26.

UNITED STATES PATENT-OF P cs-.-

mm sun, or saoonyn, new YORK.

on. GAUGE FOR TANKS.

A umi n mea January v12, 1925. Serial No. 1,969.

.vide an oilgau e Where'inthe structure" is such that the in icating-mechanism may be arranged at any desired point while the actuating structure may be positioned in theoil carrying receptacle or removably connected thereto exteriorly. In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a fragmentary viewpartly in elevation and partly inv section, disclosing one embodiment ofthe invention.

mechanism associated therewith.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the actuator shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view partly in lustrated in Figure 1 together with a signal Referrin to the accompanying drawing by nume s, 1 indicates part of a ship, as for instance, a beam to w ich the pum 2 is. connected and also an indicating mem er 3. Arranged ata convenient point on the ship is a tank 4 to which the actuator 5 is operativelyiconnected. If desired, this actuator could be positioned interiorly of the tank 4 and the ipe 13 caused to extend through a ox in the bulkhead of the tank. It is evident that the actuator 5 could not only be-applied tot'ank 4 as shown inFigure 1 but could be connected to the tank at some other point and function in the same manner.- ,In case of ships having doublebottoms with'oil therein, the actuator 5. could be arranged in the double bottom and caused to function in its usual manner, namely, by the pressure of the oil compressing the air in the lower chamber '10 of the actuator,-

forcing the air through hole 16 and passage 16' into the upper chamber 14 and s from thence into pipe '13 forcing up the mercury in the indicator.

When the parts are arran ed as shown in Figure 1, the flange 9 is bol ed or otherwise rigidly. secured to the valve 7 so that whenever valve 7 is open oil may. freely flow into the chamber 10 formed by casing 8. Posltioned on top of casing is a diaphragmd which 'is clamped in position by an inverted cup-shaped top or cover 11,; said top y or cover being in turn held in place by suitable screws 12. The pipe 13 is in free communication with the upper air chamber 14 while the chamber 10is always in free communication with ,the interior of tank '4 when valve 7 is open. A tube 15 is clamped at its lower end to the center of diaphragm 6 and communicates with the Tower chamber 10 'whilethe upperend is closed except fora vent opening-16, which under certain circumstances," is closed by the valve member 17 rigidly secured to the tube 18, wh" h'tube is secured to the cover 11 but is en ciently large to provide an 0 en chamber around the tube 15.. From Flg. 2 it will be. seen that the tube 18 is in communication with the upper chamber. 14.

When the actuator 5'is in pipe 15 until the pressure on both sides 0 the diaphragm 6 is equal.

Where a pipe 13 has been broken or where the device has been left alone for a long time and the air has escaped out of the system, the oil inchamber 10 will gradually move upwardly until it engages the dia: phragm 6 and will then gradually raise the diaphragm and pipe 15 until the valve 17 closesthe opening 16. "By this action, none of the oil from the tank 4 can escapein viewposition as shown in Figure 1 and valve'7 1s open, oil

will immediately flow into the chamber 10 and force part of the air contained therein section showing the indicating structure jilout through of this structure, evenif pipe 13. is'broken.

By this construction and arrangement, oil

cannot flow out through pipe'15 though air' I may freely dose. The upper end of plpe 13 is connected to a well 19 as shown in Figure 3, whichwell is normally filled with mercury. 20 and into which the g ass" tube 21 projects,,

said tube being 'open at the top and bottom..

This tube forms part of the indicator 3, which indicator is also provided with a sup porting plate 23 having suitable graduations 24 which are of the pro er kind to indicate the amount of oil in tan 4. These graduations willindicate inches, feet or unds.

The pump 2 is also connected to pipe 13 through a suitable connecting pipe25 which is provided with a check valve 26 and a valve 27., The check valve 26 permits the air. to flow from pump 2 into pipe 13 but prevents any return movement. When the cock 27 is pqsitioned as shown in Figure 1, the may freely flow from theupump 2 into pipe13 but if the cock was turned ninety degrees, the valve would be closed and air could not pass back from pipe 13.

When'it should be desired to ascertain the quantity of oil in tank 4, cock 27 is opened as shown in Figure l, valve 7 being open. The pump 2 is actuated one or more times or until the air pressure in chambers 10 overcomes the oil pressure and some of the air escapes into the tank 4. As the pumping operation takes place and the air pressure increases, the mercury 20 will gradu ally move up in the tube 22 until the resistance of mercury is equal to the pressure of into tank 4. When this movement of the mercury is observed, the operation of pump 2 is stopped and as soon as the mercury has vtion.

become uiet, a reading may be taken. After the reading has been taken, the device may be left indicating thepressure and preferably the cock 27 is turned to av closed posi- The device is also used when loading oil for the first time. In order that the engineer -may be informed accurately as to when the tank has been filled or when it is almost filled, the end of wire 28 is moved into the bore of the glass'tub'e 22 and downwardly to a desired point which. would indicate for instance, that the tank is ninety-five per cent full. -The wire 28 is connected with a sounding member, asfor instance, an

electric bell 29 which in turn is connected through wire 30 to a source of current 31, which current is grounded on the pipe 13 through wire 32. A switch 33 is inter osed in the wire 30 and may be closed in 0 er to secure the action of bell 29. When this has been done and the oil is being pumped into tank 4, the air in chamber 10 Wlll begin .to pass upwardly and out through pipe 15. It will, of course, be understood that the cock 27 vhas been turned 'to a closed position and that: there is already suflicient pressure in chamber 14 and pipe 13 to accurately indicate-the level of the oil already in. the tank,

When the parts are set as described, the ad-' ditionof oil to' the tank 4 will cause the pressure in chamber 10 to increase and gradually force the air in the upper part thereof out through opening 6 wherein the pressure in chamber 14 will be increased and the mercury in tube 22 will gradually rise.

This action will continue as the oil is being.

pumped into tank 4 and eventually the mercury 20 will engage the lower end of wire tank is ninety-five per cent full.

28 and, consequently, close the circuit of hell 29 which will cause the bell to sound. This will indicate to the engineer that the After the bell 29 has sounded, the switch 33 is opened.

In constructing the various parts any suitable material maybe used. In forming the diaphragm 6, the same is constructed of suitable material, as for instance metal.

What I claim is 1. Ina liquid level gauge for containers a valve adapted to be connected to the con- 1 tainer adjacent the bottom, an actuator connected with said valve, said actuator including a casing, a cover and a diaphragm arranged between the cover and casing for forming an upper and a lower chambemsaid lower chamber being in free-communication with said valve whereby when the .valve is open the liquid from the container may flow into said lower chamber, a tube extending through and connected with said diaphragm adapted to be raised when said diaphragm is raised, said tube having an opening at the upper end, a stationary valve member carried by said cover and arranged in line' with said opening and adapted to project into said opening for closing the same when the tube is raised to a certain point, an indicator, a pipe in free communication with said upper chamber and the indicator whereby the pressure of the confined air in said pipe will cause said indicator to'operate, and an air pump connected to said pipe forproviding air pressure 1n said pipe equal to the hydrostatic head in said container.

2. In an Koil level gauge, an indicating. structure and an actuator for causing the ture providing communication between the interlor of the container and the interior of the casing, a diaphragm carried by the casmg, a cover secured to the casing and with the diaphragm presenting an air chamber, a;

tubular member extending vertically from said air chamber, a valve member carried at the upper endof said tubular member, and an air tube connected with and extending through said diaphragm and extending loosel into said tubular member, said air time aving' an opening at its upper end adapted to be closed by said valve member when the air tube is raised by said dia phragm. 4

.3. In a l1qu1d level gauge for containers,

an actuator positioned exteriorly of the containerjand comprising a casing having an opening, means for connecting the actuator with a container so that the opening will be in communication with the interior of the container, a diaphragm extending across the :top of the casing for forming a combined l1qu1d and mr chamber, a cover connected with said casing above said diaphragm for communication with the interior of said-casforming with the diaphragm an air chaming, said tube having at 1ts upper end a valve her, a pipe connected with said cover and opening, and a valve member carried by the 10 havlng its lower end in free communicaupper end of said pipe adapted to close said tion with said air chamber and extending valve opening when said tube has been eleupwardly therefrom, a tube connected with voted by said diaphragm.;

said diaphragm having its lower end in free RICHARD STAR. 

